Living with IBD Without Cramping My Style! (Hate your guts, not your life!)

What To Get That Hard-To-Buy-For IBD Sufferer

A humorous IBD t-shirt probably isn’t at the top of their list.

I’m sitting here finishing my coffee (yep that’s right – though I cut back I never gave it up entirely) and perusing the Black Friday specials…which actually aren’t all that special. Williams Sonoma went so “crazy” that they’re offering – wait for it – FREE SHIPPING! Also their peppermint bark is on sale. (Don’t go breaking your index finger clicking to their site, okay?) Banana Republic keeps offering 40% off full-priced purchases even though that’s all they’ve been offering for 8 days and they offer it every Wednesday anyway.

Needless to say, I’m bored, and my credit card isn’t coming out of my wallet any time soon. So I started clicking around the non-retail segment of the web and here’s something novel: a fresh post on IHaveUC.com regarding the Top 10 Most Popular Ulcerative Colitis Gift Ideas. Cookbooks and probiotics make the top of the list. I confess, I did request one cookbook for Christmas but ultimately I was disappointed with these results. I mean, if you really, really want that bottle of ultimate flora that’s great, but I view gift-giving as bestowing indulgences–things you don’t technically need but would love. (That’s where the “it’s the thought that counts” component comes into play, right?)

So I did a quick Google and found this older article: Gift Ideas for People With IBD. I approve of Ms. Davenport’s suggestions. Gift cards, a “Basket of Relaxation”…these are truly considerate treats. Better yet, they are more customizable than a bottle of small freeze-dried organisms and more exciting, too. And after all, if you’re flaring you probably don’t have the energy to a) get to the grocery store for the myriad of obscure ingredients in your new paleo-special carb-gluten free-no dairy fusion cookbook and b) you probably don’t have the energy to actually cook, either. You’re probably also sick of swallowing things like pills and supplements. (And why should your colon have all the fun)? Think more along the lines of soft fuzzy slippers, cuddly sweaters, snuggly lounge pants, hand creams, scented candles, gift certs for things like spa treatments, books, magazines, music and movies…heck, dig a little deeper and find one of those local caterers who can whip up a custom meal designed for an IBD sufferer’s I-can-hardly-eat-anything diet. Buy them a week’s worth of dinners, throw in a nice “Inflamed and Untamed” IBD Awareness travel mug and you’re done!

Goodreads

Live A Little

“Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” - Anthony Bourdain

Never Diet

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart.” - Erma Bombeck

Mark Twain had IBD and liked it?

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” - Mark Twain

Eat, Read, Try Not to Think About Food

“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.”
— C.S. Lewis. (We're going to have to amend that to "Reading is a pleasure that combines admirably with trying not to think about how unpleasantly hungry you are." - MyGutsForGarters.)